


Sanctuary in a Storm

by Bickymonster



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Sex, Auror Harry Potter, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Dragons, Fanart, First Time Bottoming, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Snow, Tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 12:14:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17141561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bickymonster/pseuds/Bickymonster
Summary: Harry is tired of his job as an Auror, so when his boss sends him to the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, he embraces the chance to have some time away. And the chance for something more.





	Sanctuary in a Storm

**Author's Note:**

> My contribution for the Word Orgy's 'One Bed' trope challenge. Original prompt suggested by the lovely Ariel Sakura  
> Art is drawn by my amazing and very talented wife, CelticKitsune.
> 
> I would like to apologise for the lack of updates on pretty much everything this year, but as many of you know I got married this year and spent the last nine months fighting to get my wife a visa. We finally have one and we have now been reunited, so I am hoping that come the new year my writing will increase, and updates will, fingers crossed, not be long behind.
> 
> In the meantime. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy!

 

Harry doodled absentmindedly on a sheet of parchment as Head Auror Robards rambled on at the front of the meeting room.

 

Being an Auror wasn’t turning out to be half as interesting as Harry had hoped, particularly now both Ron and Neville had moved on to other things. Three years in, and it had become more than apparent it simply wasn’t the job he’d expected, and these morning briefings were one of his least favourite parts, second only to the mountains of required paperwork.

 

“Ratner, Manello, Samuelson, excellent work on breaking up that Dragon Egg smuggling ring,” Robards praised, earning a smattering of applause and a few half-hearted cheers from around the room.

 

Harry obviously wasn’t the only one not quite awake yet.

 

But as this wasn’t an operation he’d been involved with, he tuned out Robards’ voice and allowed his mind to wander.

 

He smiled to himself as he thought back to the previous weekend, which he had spent with Ron and Hermione, celebrating their engagement. They were so incredibly happy together. It almost made Harry regret ending things with Ginny; almost.

 

Harry knew it hadn’t been right between them, that they were somehow wrong for each other. Though it hadn’t been until those few drunken kisses he’d shared with Seamus several months ago that he had realised just how wrong. He had no interest in a developing a deeper relationship with the Irishman, but the spike of arousal he’d felt in those few moments was more intense than anything he’d felt in the years he’d spent with Ginny.

 

“Potter!” Robards exclaimed.

 

“Sorry, Sir,” Harry replied promptly, jerking to attention and shuffling in his seat into a more upright position.

 

Harry glanced around at his numerous colleagues, who were staring at him. His tiresome partner, Morris, was scowling at him in annoyance. But Harry didn’t have time to dwell on that, turning, instead, back to his boss.

 

“I was… err... thinking about that report... that I need to get back to writing,” he lied, a trace of uncertainty in his voice. He shook his head. “What was it you were saying, Sir?”

 

“Some of the eggs contain dragons which are unsuitable to be raised in the Welsh reserve,” Robards informed him irritably.

 

Harry suspected the man was repeating himself. Everyone knew Robards hated repeating himself.

 

“They need to be taken to the sanctuary in Romania,” the Head Auror went on. “You will collect them from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I will authorise a portkey.”

 

“You want _me_ to take them?” Harry questioned with surprise. “Just me?”

 

“Today, Potter,” Robards told him bluntly, before turning to face the Aurors on the other side of the room. “McGrath, Farver. It’s Friday, so we need to update Minister Kingsley on the Erickson investigation before the weekend…”

 

Harry tuned him out once again as the subject moved on to other things and attention drifted away from him. It was probably a bad sign that the chance to get away from the office, and his colleagues, was so appealing, but he wasn’t going to argue.

 

He was going to Romania.

 

-#-

 

Harry was one of the first out of the meeting room, once Robards had finally stopped talking. Around him, his colleagues were nattering away and seeking out the nearest source of caffeine, but he headed straight for his desk.

 

He ignored Morris as the man flumped down at the desk next to his, and set to work on the rest of his report on counterfeit wand manufacturers. They had been tracking them for the last three weeks, with little success, so there thankfully wasn’t much to be said. Still, Harry put about as much effort into the report as he’d used to do with his divination homework, which spoke volumes about how much cared for his work.

 

He scrawled his name on the bottom of the report and dropped it off in the inbox on his way across the Department to the Head Auror office.

 

He knocked loudly and waited.

 

“Come in,” Robards called after several long moments.

 

Harry stepped into the office but his boss didn’t even look up.

 

“I was looking for that portkey authorisation,” he said several seconds later when Robards continued to ignore him. “To Romania... for those dragon eggs...”

 

The Head Auror simply picked up a folder from the side of his desk, holding it out wordlessly.

 

Harry hurriedly took it and flipped it open. It contained not only the promised portkey papers, but the documentation he would need to take authority for the dragon eggs, and contact details for the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary.

 

Harry opened his mouth to say something but with a glance at his obviously distracted and uninterested boss, decided better of it and snapped his jaw closed. Exasperated and shaking his head, he left the office.

 

By the time he got back to his desk, most of his colleagues were at their own, or had otherwise left, presumably to conduct investigations or attend court appearances. Morris had wandered off somewhere, even though they hadn’t been assigned a new case yet. Harry didn’t care enough to find out where.

 

He took his robe from the back of his chair, draping it over his arm, and left the Department, the folder of papers tucked under his other arm. And with it being a Friday, he wouldn’t have to be back for three whole days. The thought was enough to put something of a spring in his step.

 

He gave a somewhat forced smile to the elderly lady stepping out of the lift as he reached it, and was thankful to find it now empty. He pushed the button for level six, deciding to start with the Department of Magical Transportation.

 

He would collect the dragon eggs after, he decided as the lift jerked into action and he reached out to grab the handrail to keep himself upright. It would probably be unwise to wander around with dragon eggs any more than was strictly necessary.

 

The lift jerked to a hold and with a ding, the doors opened, and Harry stepped out onto the sixth floor of the Ministry.

 

“Ahh, welcome, Mr Potter. Welcome,” the wide-eyed and enthusiastic young man at reception greeted joyfully. “Head Auror Robards sent us a memo explaining everything. Julie is expecting you. I assume you have the written authorisation with you.”

 

“Erm… yeah,” Harry told him, as he hesitantly held up the folder his boss had given him. “Here.”

 

“Perfect,” the receptionist simpered, flashing him a toothy smile.

 

Harry supposed it was meant to be encouraging, but it came across more stalkerish.

 

“Straight down the hall, third door on your left. Julie will get everything set for you.”

 

“Oh, err… thanks,” Harry said, heading in the direction he had been pointed, glancing back anxiously at the still grinning receptionist.

 

The third door on the left was open when he reached it, and so Harry poked his head into the room and knocked gently. A woman, he assumed to be Julie, looked up at the sound, and smiled. Her expression was a good deal warmer and far less perturbing than the receptionist’s had been.

 

“Come in, have a seat,” she said, gesturing to the empty chair across from her.

 

It didn’t take long for the very helpful Julie to provide him with a pair of keyword-activated portkeys, one to get him to Romania, and another for the return journey. The official coin-shaped tokens he’d been given were certainly a lot more practical than the mangy old boot he’d travelled with to get to the World Cup, more than half a decade ago.  

 

With the large tokens tucked safely into his trouser pocket, he left the department, nodding curtly to the still grinning receptionist on his way out.

 

From there he made his way up to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

 

As he stepped out of the lift, he was unsurprised to find this Department a lot less calm than the one he’d just come from. People were wandering about, seemingly in all directions at once, carrying various cages and crates, or levitating them along behind them, and he had to dodge a peculiarly pearlescent floating cow, which drifted by, squawking indignantly, as he tried to wind his way toward the main desk.

 

He did a bit of a double take at the sight but had learned long ago it was best to be selective about which questions you actually bothered asking.

 

“Auror Potter to collect the rescued dragon eggs,” he told the rather harassed looking middle-aged woman behind the desk.

 

“One moment please,” she told him, holding up a finger. “Morton! Mr Potter is here for those eggs!” she yelled over the ruckus around them.

 

A sandy-haired man, wearing far-too-large a pair of glasses, popped his head out of a nearby doorway.

 

“What was that, Carol?” he asked, vigorously twisting a finger in his ear.

 

“The eggs, Morton! The dragon eggs those Aurors found. They’ve sent Mr Potter to get them,” Carol clarified loudly, with obvious exasperation.

 

“Ah! Come, Mr Potter!” Morton said, gesturing him over. “Come!”

 

Harry flashed Carol a somewhat forced smile as he headed over toward man. He had to quickly a duck out of the reach of a chuckling pixie as it flew past his head and step around a man, who couldn’t see where he was going from behind the stack of squawking crates he was carrying.

 

The whole Department was a madhouse, but at least it was considerably more interesting than the Department for Magical Law Enforcement. The same could be said for Morton’s office.

 

One wall of the room was covered, floor to ceiling, with vivariums of various sizes. Even from just inside the door, Harry could see the various reptiles crawling and slithering around inside them. There was a desk next to a window, three overflowing bookcases, several crates around the floor, and numerous posters. The one that really drew his attention was a disturbingly detailed drawing, showing the anatomy of a Welsh Green. It appeared to be self-drawn.

 

“I have the eggs all crated up. There’s a warming charm on the bedding to keep them at the ideal temperature,” Morton informed him somewhat mournfully.

 

Harry turned from the wall of posters, shoving his hands into his pockets. The man was crouched next to one of the crates, which was only a little over two feet wide, and a foot in each other dimension. Harry watched as Morton ran his hand over the top of it reverently, a look of awe upon his face.

 

Harry tried to convince himself that he wasn’t jealous of how much this man obviously loved his job.

 

“The dragonologists at the sanctuary will know what do once you get there,” Morton told him in a quiet voice that one might use in the room of a sleeping child.

 

“I don’t need to worry about taking it via portkey?” Harry asked curiously, finding his own voice softening to match.

 

“Oh, not at all,” Morton assured him happily, getting back to his feet and clapping his hands together loudly, leaving Harry feeling a tad stupid. “The create was specifically designed for just this purpose and is imbued with numerous protective enchantments. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend dropping it off a high cliff or anything, but a journey through a portkey won’t cause any issue.”

 

“That’s reassuring… thanks,” Harry told him, with perhaps a dash of sarcasm. Though he was glad he wasn’t going to have to learn any complicated procedure for the transfer.

 

“Just make sure to keep it the right way up,” Morton instructed, winking as he nudged Harry gently with his elbow.

 

“I think I can probably manage that,” Harry assured him with a chuckle. “Keeping boxes correctly orientated is an important part of Auror training, you know.”

 

“Sure it is,” Morton said dryly. “Though I’m assuming you missed the classes on humour.”

 

“Yeah… they got boring,” Harry told him with a smirk.

 

-#-

 

Harry maintained a secure hold on the crate of dragon eggs as he all but crash-landed into the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary designated portkey and apparition arrival room. He was fairly sure his head, stomach, and heart were all trying to go in different directions, and the only thing keeping him upright was the firm hand that tightened on his arm.

 

“Whoa! Careful there,” a man’s voice said. “Lyn, take the eggs.”

 

However, Harry was too busy to trying not to lose his breakfast to actually manage to look at them. In fact, looking at anything was making him dizzy and he quickly closed his eyes, taking deep controlled breaths. He was very grateful when someone, presumably Lyn, took the crate from him, and a strong arm wrapped around his back and led him across the room to a bench.

 

All but collapsing onto it, Harry kept his eyes pinched shut as he rested his head in his hands. He groaned pitifully as he tried to will the world to stop spinning.

 

He had a feeling he knew now why Robards had assigned him this particular task; though it did raise the question as to why his boss hated him quite this much.

 

“Take a few minutes,” the guy suggested. “Long distance portkeys can be a real bitch. Just trust me when I say, never try it with a hangover. I’ve made that mistake once too many.”

 

“Why would you do that to yourself?” Harry asked with another groan, finally managing to sit back on the bench and open his eyes. He was rather surprised to recognise the handsome, muscular, redhead sitting next to him. “Charlie?”

 

“Well… the family has many theories, but Bill likes to claim I’ve got brain damage from too many years wrestling dragons,” Charlie told him with a grin.

 

“Could just be that brain damage is a Weasley family trait,” Harry suggested weakly, managing a crooked smile.

 

Charlie snorted. “Feeling better?” he asked. “Think your stomach’s going to stay put?”

 

“Yeah, think so,” Harry told him, patting his belly with an uncertain frown. “Though I see why now why you haven’t given in to your mother’s pleas to visit home more often.”

 

“Trust me, ‘portkeys are awful’ is not considered a valid excuse not to visit my mother,” Charlie told him seriously, as he got back to his feet, holding his hand out to Harry. “I assume you’re in no hurry to get back.”

 

“I had been planning to head straight home,” Harry admitted, as he allowed Charlie to drag him to his feet. “But…,” he added, wavering unsteadily, “definitely rethinking that at the moment.”

 

“It’s the weekend, or almost anyway,” Charlie told him with a shrug, sticking close. “You should just stay a few days. I could show you around.”

 

“That... actually sounds pretty great,” Harry said with surprise.

 

He certainly had no interest in using his return portkey any time in the next twenty-four hours, and he’d never had an opportunity to visit the sanctuary before. And he had often wished for a chance to spend more time with Charlie, him being the Weasley brother he saw least.

 

“Perfect! That’s settled then,” Charlie insisted happily, throwing his arm over Harry’s shoulder.

 

“I guess so,” Harry agreed, a smile breaking out on his face. It was a relief to know he wouldn’t have to return home to his frustrating, boring job, and his empty house. “How about you start by introducing me to your colleague?” he suggested, gesturing vaguely across the room, to where a woman was crouched over the crate of eggs.

 

“Right!” Charlie exclaimed excitedly, removing his arm from Harry’s shoulders and grabbing his hand, all but dragging him across the room. “Harry, I’d like you to meet our egg expert, Lyn.”

 

At the sound of their approach, she got to her feet, dusted her hands off on her trousers and turned to face them. She was tall and strong-looking, and grinned at them toothily. She wasn’t perhaps what Harry would have considered classically pretty, but the enthusiasm she radiated was endearing and made her quite startlingly attractive.

 

“Harry Potter, nice to meet you,” Harry said, holding out his hand, which Lyn quickly took, shaking it firmly. “Are the eggs all okay?”

 

“They’re perfect!” Lyn assured him, in an accent Harry believed might be German, though he wasn’t certain. “I believe one of them could be an Antipodean Opaleye, Peruvian Vipertooth crossbreed. And there be two Hebridean Blacks too!”

 

“We haven’t had any Hebridean Blacks born here in nearly a decade,” Charlie explained, looking almost as pleased as Lyn at the news. “And crossbreeds are exceedingly rare.”

 

“It’s been illegal to breed dragons since 1709, and most dragons tend to be selective about who they breed with, so it doesn’t often happen naturally,” Lyn explained.

 

“We only have two other crossbreeds at the sanctuary, “Charlie added. “And they are both a mix of Catalonian Fireball and Portuguese Long-Snout. The two breeds look kind of similar in many regards, and their mama wasn’t the smartest of dragons, so the Catalonian got lucky when he tried it on with her.”

 

“I’m not sure there’s ever been an Antipodean Opaleye crossbred before,” Lyn told them.

 

“That’s great then,” Harry said, not sure what else to say.

 

He was feeling a little overwhelmed but was genuinely glad that something good had come from the whole smuggling business, and that these baby dragons hadn’t ended up in the wrong hands.

 

“Sorry, you probably don’t want to listen to all this,” Charlie said with a nervous chuckle, nudging Harry with his elbow. “You got the transfer papers for Lyn to sign? Then we can go have some lunch, and decide what you want to do with your weekend away.”

 

“Oh yeah, right!” Harry exclaimed, pulling the folded papers from the back trouser pocket, holding them out to Lyn.

 

“You should get Charlie to take you to see the incubators,” Lyn suggested as she unfolded the parchment, and carried it over to the small desk at the side of the room. “We have several Hungarian Horntail eggs in there at the moment, and a Chinese Fireball.”

 

“We’ll put it on the list,” Charlie agreed with a roll of his eyes before Harry had a chance to answer. “Lyn really loves dragon eggs,” he added in a whisper.

 

“I noticed,” Harry agreed.

 

“Here,” Lyn said, handing the papers back.

 

Harry folded them again and shoved them back into his pocket for safe keeping.

 

“And I hope you enjoy your stay,” she said. “There’s a lot to see here. Just be warned, you might not want to leave.”

 

“Don’t worry, Harry here has important Auror work to get back to on Monday,” Charlie told her.

 

Harry didn’t bother trying to correct him.

 

“I had important things to get back to too when I came for a visit... twelve years ago,” Lyn told them with a crooked smirk as she picked up the crate of eggs. “Dragons have a way of making other things seem less important. Enjoy your stay, Harry. Was very nice meeting you.”

 

“You too,” Harry said earnestly, watching her leave before turning to grin at Charlie. “So, you mentioned something about lunch?”

 

“Absolutely,” Charlie said with an ear-to-ear grin, throwing his arm over Harry’s shoulders once more. “And I have a great idea for where we should go after.”

 

-#-

 

“When I woke up this morning, I wasn’t expecting to be taking a two-hour hike into the Romanian mountains today,” Harry said breathlessly, as he heaved himself up the snow-covered mountain path with the help of the walking poles Charlie had lent him.

 

Charlie came to a stop a short way up ahead of him, leaning on his own walking pole, as he turned to smirk back down at Harry, waiting for him to catch up.  

 

“Trust me, it’ll be worth the effort,” Charlie assured him.

 

“The most incredible views of the sanctuary... you mentioned,” Harry gasped out as he managed to catch up, resting for a moment as he took a swing from the water bottle strapped to his hip. “But why exactly couldn’t we have just apparated?”

 

Charlie shook his head, rolling his eyes, but obviously a little amused by Harry’s exhaustion.

 

“Too dangerous. It would be far too easy to disapparate on unsteady ground, or even a few feet off the edge of one of these cliffs,” he pointed out, gesturing to the edges of the mountain, which was less than five feet from where they were standing. “It’s why apparition is prohibited up here, for anyone without a special license.”

 

“Well… that actually makes sense,” Harry grumbled half-heartedly, somewhat disappointed at the sound logic of the argument.

 

He supposed they would have to do this the old-fashioned way.

 

Harry had thought he was fit and healthy; he had made it through Auror training, which had included some serious physical exertion, without too much trouble. Now though, he was even more impressed by Charlie, who seemed to be barely breaking a sweat as they hiked and Harry could hardly complain about the picture Charlie made as Harry followed him, it was certainly pleasing to the eye.

 

“Come on, we’re not far from the peak now,” Charlie told him, patting a gloved hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I reckon it’s another…fifteen minutes.”

 

“Okay, ready when you are,” Harry told him, turning to look up the mountain path. He took a deep, steadying breath as he braced himself to keep moving.

 

Together they climbed, Charlie leading the way along the winding paths heading toward the peak above them. They maintained a steady pace, and as Charlie had estimated, they reached the top of the mountain in just under a quarter of an hour.

 

“Oh wow,” Harry breathed out as he came to a stop, the mountain range, with its glorious sweeping valleys, laid out before him.

 

“Told you,” was all Charlie said as he spelled the snow and ice from a large boulder. Rested his walking pole against the side of it, he perched himself on top.

 

“This is… incredible,” Harry agreed, taking a long moment to relish the sight. “Definitely worth every minute of that hike. And certainly beats the view from my desk,” he added, moving over to the boulder, putting his poles with Charlie’s and clambering up to sit next to him.

 

“Don’t get me wrong, I often miss Britain, but the location is a big perk of my job,” Charlie told him as he leaned back on his arms. “Though it is the dragons that keep me here,” he admitted with a smirk.

 

“I could see that,” Harry said softly, gazing out over the mountain range before them.

 

It was peaceful up there, the cold wind blowing around them, seemingly from every direction, and Harry let himself soak it up. Charlie quietly kept him company as he did so. However, the moment was broken as a huge dragon flew up the side of the mountain and straight over their heads.

 

Harry jumped off the rock, a grin on his face as he watched the dragon glide back down into the valley below.

 

“Norberta has always been a bit of a show-off,” Charlie remarked as he came to stand next to Harry, watching his awed expression with a pleased smile of his own.

 

“That was Norberta?” Harry asked, turning to stare up at Charlie with wide eyes.

 

“Sure was,” the redhead confirmed with a nod.

 

“She got huge,” Harry told him, still grinning from ear-to-ear, his gaze sweeping the valley in search of either Norberta or else any other dragons.

 

“It has been a decade, Harry,” Charlie pointed out with a laugh. “She’s not fully grown yet though; she’s still technically considered a juvenile.”

 

“You have the best job,” Harry said softly, as he moved round to peer down over the other side of the mountain.

 

“Could get you a job here too if you were interested,” Charlie offered with a teasing smirk as he gathered up their walking poles again. “Just in case you ever get tired of playing hero back home.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Harry told him, a little taken aback by just how tempting the offer sounded.

 

“We should probably head back down though. Those clouds are moving in a bit too quickly for my liking,” Charlie pointed out with a concerned frown.

 

Harry turned his gaze in the direction Charlie was looking. The sky was indeed growing grey, as heavy clouds blew toward them. He accepted two of the walking poles from Charlie and with one last longing glance down into the valley below, Harry followed Charlie back off down the mountain path.

 

-#-

 

“Storm came in fast,” Charlie shouted out over the howling winds. “I don’t think it’s letting up anytime soon.”

 

It had started with a few flurries, the wind picking up, but the snow was falling hard now, the winds pelting them fiercely and stinging their cheeks, despite the warming charms they had cast upon themselves. The sudden blizzard was slowing their pace and hampering their vision, even with repelling spells.

 

Harry focus was entirely on staying close behind the redhead, not wanting to lose sight of him and get lost up there.

 

“We’re gonna have to take shelter,” Charlie called to him, glancing over his shoulder toward Harry.

 

“But it’s such beautiful weather out,” Harry yelled back sarcastically, wincing as a particularly harsh gust of wind blew snow straight into his face. “Though I wouldn’t say no to a roof over our heads and a fire to defrost in front of,” he added, determinedly keeping moving.

 

“There’s a small wizarding village up ahead,” Charlie informed him, gesturing down the path in front of them. “Stay close!”

 

Harry didn’t need to be told twice. He couldn’t see anything through the blizzard swirling around them and had no idea how Charlie knew where they were, but the redhead had lived in the area for as long as Harry had known him. He trusted him to get them somewhere safe. Charlie, at least, didn’t seem overly worried, which was reassuring.

 

Sure enough, they only had to walk for another couple of minutes before the first house came into view. The simple log cabin was a surprisingly motivating sight, and other buildings appeared from the storm as they trudged their way into the village, through the rapidly forming snow banks.

 

“There’s an inn just a little further down,” Charlie shouted, as he turned and waited for Harry to catch up.

 

Harry just nodded breathlessly, eager to reach it as soon as possible. The almost knee-deep snow made it hard to walk and it felt like an age since he’d last been warm. It was hard for him to believe that he’d been sat bored in the morning briefing less than twelve hours earlier. He was a world away from his life as an Auror, and glad for the change.

 

The relief as they finally reached the inn and pushed their way through the front door into the fire-warmed lobby was palpable. With a hard shove, Harry closed the door firmly behind them, shutting out the noise of the wind, along with the bitter cold.

 

“Bine ati venit!” a portly man greeted warmly, as he pushed himself up from the seat behind the desk and moved to join them, a warm smile on his face.

 

“Mulțumesc. Thank you,” Charlie replied with a small bow of his head as he tugged his hat and gloves off.

 

Harry quickly followed suit, smiling at the man he presumed was the innkeeper.

 

The man spelled the snow from both them and their clothes, with an obviously well-practised swish of his wand, before taking their thick winter robes and gesturing them further into the welcoming and homely building.

 

“Storm is much strong,” the man said seriously, leading them to the sofa in front of the fire. “Last many, many hour. Best be staying here, I thinks.”

 

“That’d be lovely, thank you,” Charlie agreed, handing over a stack of coins before taking a seat on the sofa and holding his hands up to warm them in front of the flames.

 

“Thank you,” Harry echoed, smiling and nodding gratefully to the innkeeper again before joining Charlie on the sofa.

 

“Okay, I has last room for you,” the innkeeper stated enthusiastically, before heading off to the desk, presumably to fetch the key and put away the money Charlie had given him.

 

“I assume this is okay with you, Harry,” Charlie asked quietly.

 

“Of course,” Harry said with a genuine smile, as he wiped his glasses off using the bottom of his now thankfully dry jumper. Protective enchantments kept the worst off them, but the storm had been too much to keep them completely clear.

 

“I know it wasn’t quite what we planned but think of it as a mini-holiday,” Charlie suggested, smirking as he nudged him.

 

“Well, I have always been up for a bit of an adventure,” Harry confessed, pushing his glasses back onto his face and grinning at the other man.

 

“Really?” Charlie said teasingly, with a tone of mock surprise. “I would never have guessed that about you. We could always go back outside…”

 

“No,” Harry interrupted, with a laugh, enjoying the pure amusement on Charlie’s face. “I think I’ve had enough of that particular adventure for now. Not that it hasn’t been… interesting.”

 

“It’s quite shocking how fast a blizzard can come in when you’re this high up,” Charlie said, nodding his head slowly. “It’s one of the reasons I don’t come up here as often as I’d like. It isn’t something anyone should so alone, particularly at this time of year, just in case.”

 

“I can see why,” Harry agreed.

 

“Room is ready,” the innkeeper announced as he came back over to them, key in hand. “I show you way.”

 

Charlie and Harry quickly got to their feet, following the portly man as he led them further into the building and up the stairs.

 

“Little elf made you fire in room, so it is erm... as you say... warm and cosy,” he informed them as they walked. “I can give food for eating dinner. My wife make _very_ good ciorbă de pui. Warm for belly and ah… soul. You would like, no?” he asked, turning to look at the pair of them as he came to a stop in front of a door.

 

Harry looked to Charlie. Food sounded good, but he had no idea what they were being offered.

 

“That would be great, thank you,” Charlie agreed eagerly.

 

Harry made a mental note to ask Charlie later how much he owed him, as he watched him hand over another coin to the innkeeper.

 

“You good customer, always welcome,” the innkeeper praised happily, pocketing the coin and turning back to unlock the door.

 

Pushing it open, he dropped the key into Charlie’s hand and patted him on the shoulder.

 

“I send little elf with dinner soon. Hope you be eating and sleeping well,” the innkeeper said before hurrying off down the stairs.

 

Harry followed Charlie into the small room but almost ended up walking into his back when Charlie suddenly stopped. Harry followed Charlie’s gaze and quickly realised what had brought him up short.

 

There was only the one bed.

 

“Is this going to be a problem?” Charlie asked with a nervous chuckle. “I think he said this was the last room he had…”

 

Words evaded Harry as Charlie turned to him, face flushed and his ears tinged pink just like Ron’s did whenever he was embarrassed. The familiarity of it was oddly comforting but Harry found it far more endearing on Charlie than it had ever been on his best friend.

 

“I can sleep in the chair…” Charlie started to offer but Harry reached out and grasped him by the hand before he could turn away.

 

“No, it’s not a problem,” Harry assured him with a soft, shy smile, feeling more than a little flustered himself. “It’s a big bed, plenty of room for both of us.”

 

“You’re sure?” Charlie asked, his blue eyes staring intently into Harry’s, as though searching for something.

 

“Completely sure,” Harry told him, squeezing Charlie’s hand in his own.

 

It took a few seconds, but Charlie relaxed, a smile forming on his lips once more. Releasing his hand, Harry stepped past him to explore the rest of the room.

 

In addition to the queen-sized bed and the promised fire burning away in its grate, a large wooden dresser stood against the wall across from the bed, and by the window, there was a small round table with two comfortable looking armchairs, upholstered in dark tartan. The only other door in the room led into a small bathroom. It was nothing spectacular but had everything they would need, including a rather beautiful claw-footed bathtub, which Harry just wanted to sink into.

 

“If the storm clears, there will probably be a great view in the morning,” Charlie told him, having moved to peer out of the window.

 

Outside the snow was now coming down harder than before, and Harry was more relieved than ever they had stopped and found somewhere to stay for the night. He was also looking forward to putting a warm meal in his belly. Which raised an important question.

 

“What’s the food the guy offered?” Harry asked curiously.

 

“Oh, it’s basically chicken soup,” Charlie explained. “Don’t worry, I think you’ll like it.”

 

“It certainly sounds all right,” Harry said, nodding approvingly at the prospect.

 

“The guy wasn’t wrong either, it is the perfect way to warm up after being out in that,” Charlie added, jutting his thumb back toward the window, as he dropped into one of the armchairs.

 

Harry came to join him, taking a seat in the other.

 

The two of them fell into a companionable silence as they watched the snow continue to fall, neither of them wanting to break the moment. Harry was sure he couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this at peace.

 

It was less than five minutes later that a house elf appeared with a basket of bread rolls and a handful of cutlery. It had barely finished placing them on the table, when a second elf appeared, carrying two bowls of soup and placing one in front of each of them.

 

“Thank you,” Harry and Charlie both said, the small elves bowing deeply before disappearing with two small pops.

 

“Smells good, right?” Charlie asked, before taking a spoonful of the broth and moaning happily as he tasted it.

 

Harry nodded, watching him for a few moments longer before digging into his own meal. It tasted as good as it smelt, fresh and full of flavour, and just warm enough to be comforting. He tore a chunk off the piece of chicken, which was in the middle of the bowl, and ate that next, enjoying every bite.

 

“The guy wasn’t kidding, his wife makes good ciorbă,” Charlie declared, as he grabbed one of the rolls from the basket and tore into it. “Better than anything we could have gotten at the Sanctuary canteen,” he admitted, before stuffing a chunk of the bread into his mouth.

 

“I’m guessing the food there is not one of the perks?” Harry asked curiously, as he helped himself to some bread as well.

 

“It isn’t bad,” Charlie clarified, swallowing. “And it is the best way to socialise with everyone else who works at the sanctuary, but it’s nice to eat something different for a change. I sometimes cook in my quarters, but when it’s just me…”

 

“Yeah, I know how that is,” Harry said with a tired sigh, thinking of his barely used kitchen back home in London. “Seems pretty pointless, putting all that effort in when you’re cooking for one.”

 

“Exactly!” Charlie exclaimed, obviously glad to have been understood. “Mum taught me well though, so maybe I should show off a bit and cook for you tomorrow night…”

 

“Or we could cook together,” Harry suggested eagerly. “Maybe you can teach me a thing or two.”

 

“I’d like that,” Charlie agreed, grinning once again and falling quiet as he ate his roll, watching Harry with a curious expression on his face.

 

They ate the rest of their meal with an easy quiet between them. Harry spent much of it watching the snow as it fell outside the window, but he could feel Charlie watching him. Each time he glanced over at the other man, Charlie’s eyes would hastily drift elsewhere and his pale skin would take on a somewhat rosier hue.

 

“I’m going to make the most of that tub,” Harry told Charlie as he cleaned out the last of his bowl with a scrap of bread, sucking his thumb clean. “Unless you wanted to go first?”

 

“Nah, you go first, take your time,” Charlie told him. “I’m not much of one for long baths so I’ll just wash up quickly after you’re done.”

 

“You’re not going to be bored out here on your own?” Harry asked seriously, as he took one of the towels from the end of the bed.

 

“I’m sure I can find ways to entertain myself,” Charlie said with a smirk, though his expression became slightly horrified when he realised the potential implication. “I didn’t mean like that,” he insisted quickly.

 

Harry laughed. “Sure you didn’t,” he teased, heading to the bathroom door. “But I’ll leave you to it. I’ll just be in there getting wet and naked, probably not in that order. Have fun,” he added as he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, catching a glimpse of Charlie’s wonderfully shocked expression as he did so.

 

-#-

 

Harry had very much enjoyed the nearly hour-long bath he had taken. But by then he had almost fallen asleep, and he didn’t think Charlie would appreciate having to explain how Harry Potter had drowned in the bathroom they were sharing.

 

As such, he forced himself out of the magically warmed water and carefully dried himself with the fluffy white towel he’d brought in with him. It was only then it occurred to him that neither he nor Charlie had anything close to resembling pyjamas to wear that night. And so he just put his boxer-briefs back on.

 

Facing himself in the mirror, Harry steeled every ounce of his Gryffindor courage, and stepped out into the bedroom, wearing nothing more than his underwear.

 

He didn’t miss the appreciative drift of Charlie’s gaze over his body.

 

But Charlie quickly excused himself to the bathroom, and Harry crawled beneath the covers on the side closest to the window.

 

The bed was comfortably warm already and Harry momentarily wondered what spells had been used to create such an effect, or whether a simple warming charm had been used with more proficiency than he’d ever managed; he always ended up overheating whenever he tried such a thing.

 

It was nearly fifteen minutes before Charlie came back out of the bathroom, still scrubbing his hair dry with a towel as Harry rolled over to face him.

 

Charlie too was only dressed in snug-fitting boxers, the fabric showing off every inch of him that wasn’t already fully exposed, including the clear outline of his flaccid cock. Harry had seen many of his schoolmates in such a state of undress before, but he had been young and his mind preoccupied. Now though, he had nothing to do but admire the sight before him.

 

Harry’s gaze had drifted up from Charlie’s bulky thighs to his toned abs by the time he realised Charlie was done drying his hair and was now observing him in turn.

 

“Enjoying the view?” Charlie asked, his ears once again tinged pink.

 

“Err... Sorry,” Harry said, coughing awkwardly and tearing his eyes from Charlie’s body. He was wondering now what had compelled him to be so forward, with Ron’s considerably older brother of all people.

 

“No, don’t be,” Charlie insisted, tossing the towel back through the door to the bathroom. Approaching the bed, he climbed up onto it and grasped Harry’s chin to gently turn his attention back toward him. “I was enjoying the view too.”

 

“Yeah, when you said these mountains had the most impressive views, I didn’t think this was what you meant,” Harry pointed out with an amused smirk.

 

Charlie let out a surprised laugh. “It wasn’t exactly, but now you mention it...“ He let his voice trail off as he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment, gazing into Harry’s eyes as he gave something serious consideration. “I probably shouldn’t be doing this but…”

 

Harry saw it coming, yet was still momentarily surprised as Charlie leant down and softly brushed their lips together.

 

The kiss was gentle, questioning, and Harry couldn’t help the way his body tensed in surprise at the intimate gesture. But as he felt Charlie go to pull away, he quickly realised he absolutely did not want this to be over before it had even begun.

 

Closing his eyes, he wrapped an arm around Charlie’s neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss, keeping him from escaping and pressing their lips together properly. He felt safe and comfortable, and incredibly turned on, with Charlie, and he didn’t know exactly what he wanted but he wanted more... so much more.

 

Charlie moaned his approval, relaxing into the kiss and parting his lips, as he threaded fingers into Harry’s hair, holding them together. Harry pressed a palm against Charlie’s toned chest, his tongue brushing over his lips and pressing against Charlie’s, exploring, teasing, as the taller man shifted down under the covers next to him.

 

Harry could feel the other man’s body heat radiating next to him, their legs brushing against each other’s as their bodies shifted subtly. His hips kept jolting forward, seemingly of their own accord, thrusting his already growing erection, which was frustratingly constrained within his boxer-briefs, in desperate search of friction. He might have felt embarrassed if Charlie’s own boxer-clad cock hadn’t already been pressing insistently against his thigh.  

 

“Merlin,” Charlie gasped out, as they broke the kiss.

 

Harry snapped his eyes open and found Charlie watching him, his lustful expression full of the promise of many delicious things. Harry wanted them all.

 

“I want this,” Harry blurted out, in response to a question no one had asked, his already flushed cheeks reddening further. “I mean… I like you.”

 

“I like you too,” Charlie admitted. “Probably a lot more than is appropriate,” he added, shifting his hard length against Harry’s thigh once more.

 

Harry moaned when the action caused the tip of his own cock to brush against the waistband of his own underwear. He needed the last of their clothes gone already.

 

“No, not at all inappropriate,” Harry insisted, wrapping his arm around Charlie’s waist and pulling their bodies flush together, chest-to-chest, their erections trapped between them. “We both obviously want this,” he declared more confidently than he felt, looking Charlie in the eye, “who’s to say we can’t have it.”

 

“I’m eight years older than you,” Charlie pointed out raspily, even as his hand shifted down under Harry's boxers to grasp his arse.

 

“So?” Harry responded, smirking. “That’s kind of hot.”

 

“You’re Ron’s best friend,” Charlie pointed out, “...and Ginny’s ex.”

 

Harry pushed himself up along Charlie’s body to press his lips to the other man’s once more, silencing him and wiping away the slight alarm creeping into his expression. Before slowly pulling away to fix him with a stern but rather amused expression.

 

“Don’t worry about Ron. Even the slightest chance of me ever being a Weasley would make his year,” Harry told him with a crooked grin.

 

Charlie’s eyes widened, but he remained silent for the moment, quelled by Harry’s gaze.

 

“As for Ginny, she will probably be weirdly delighted that we both got laid... and then probably ask for some highly inappropriate details,” Harry added with a momentarily concerned frown, before literally shaking away that thought. “But the point is, the only reason not to do this would be if we didn’t want to.”

 

“I definitely want to,” Charlie blurted out.

 

Harry laughed, pressing his hips forward again. “Yeah… I noticed,” he remarked. “I do too, for the record.”

 

“And what exactly, Mr Potter…” Charlie asked, rolling them both so he was lying between Harry’s legs, pinning him beneath him, “... do you want to do?”

 

“I’m pretty sure I want you to fuck me,” Harry told him bluntly.

 

“Pretty sure?”

 

“Well… I’ve never done this before,” he admitted, “not with another man.”

 

“Never?” Charlie questioned, with wide-eyed surprise.

 

“No, but I really want to, with you,” Harry insisted, pulling Charlie down for another brief kiss. “I want this, I’m just going to need you to... take the lead. Is…? Is that okay?”

 

“Is it…?” Charlie blinked down at Harry, seeming to struggle to process this new information for a moment. “It’s more than okay,” he assured him, before capturing Harry’s lips with his own once more, rocking their hips together as he did so.

 

Harry moaned wantonly into Charlie’s mouth as their tongues swept over each others’, their kiss deepening as they were consumed by their rapidly growing lust. Harry’s lips didn’t leave the other man’s, even as his hands tugged desperately at the waistband of his own underwear, needing to free his aching cock.

 

Charlie was holding back a chuckle as he broke their kiss, though he kept their bodies firmly pressed together, remaining close, his breath brushing over Harry’s lips as he spoke.

 

“Would you like some help?” he asked, his voice deep with arousal.

 

“Fuck, yes, get these off me already,” Harry all but pleaded, his hips bucking up against Charlie as his body grew ever more heated.

 

“Perhaps I should get rid of mine while I’m at it?” Charlie suggested as he slowly moved down Harry’s body, pressing a kiss first to his jaw before mouthing at his neck.

 

Harry writhed beneath him, spreading his legs wider as he groaned needily. Charlie sucked more instantly at the sensitive flesh of his throat and Harry was half sure he wasn’t going to last long enough for Charlie to fuck him, but his head was too fogged with arousal to find the words.

 

But then Charlie was moving down his body again, fingers and lips trailing lightly over Harry’s chest, pausing to tease at his already peaked nipples for several long moments. Charlie’s tongue swirled around the sensitive nub and Harry actually whimpered.

 

“Charlie…” he breathed out, the word a plea, though for what exactly he couldn’t have said.  

 

“Problem?” Charlie asked, his sky-blue eyes gazing cheekily up at Harry.

 

“Weren’t you supposed to be getting rid of our clothes?” Harry reminded him, his voice breathy with desire.

 

“So I was,” Charlie agreed with amusement as he slid further down Harry’s body, hands trailing over Harry’s ribs.

 

Grasping the waistband of Harry’s boxers and tugging them down enough to expose Harry’s hip, Charlie bit playfully at the toned skin. Harry’s fingers tangled in Charlie’s hair and Charlie kissed at the same spot, sucking firmly and drawing a guttural groan from Harry’s throat.

 

“Charlie… gonna… can’t… urg…” Harry mumbled, struggling to form a thought, let alone a sentence. “Please,” he implored as he shifted his hips beneath Charlie’s hold.

 

This time Charlie relented, Harry helping a little by lifting his hips just enough for Charlie to be able to free him from the restaining and pre-cum stained boxers. Charlie pulled them off over Harry’s feet, kneeling up between Harry’s legs as he tossed them carelessly aside without a glance.

 

For a moment they remained frozen as Charlie admired Harry, his intense blue gaze moving from Harry’s straining erection, up his toned chest and meeting his eyes. Harry felt exposed, but the obvious affection and desire in Charlie’s expression held him mesmerised. He kept expecting to grow anxious about what they were about to do, but all he was was eager.

 

“Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” Charlie exclaimed breathily, as he made quick work of removing his own underwear, tossing them in the same direction Harry’s had flown only moments earlier.

 

“You’re sexy as all hell,” Harry finally managed to reply, as Charlie was fully exposed to his view for the first time. “How the fuck…” he asked, pulling Charlie’s now completely naked body back down on top of him, “...are you still single?”

 

“Because I was apparently waiting for you,” Charlie told him before capturing his lips in a kiss once more.

 

Harry was lost in the moment. Charlie’s lips were warm and insistent against his own, their tongues teasing and brushing against each others’ as they writhed together on the bed, Charlie’s cock brushing against his own with each movement. And as they broke apart, he was breathless once more.

 

“You’re certain you want to do this?” Charlie asked. “I could just suck you off if you’d rather. I have a… talented tongue.”

 

“I’m sure you do, and I definitely want you to prove that to me another time, but right now I want to feel you inside me,” Harry told him confidently. “I want you.”

 

“Works for me,” Charlie told him, pressing a peck of a kiss to Harry’s lips before grabbing his wand from the bedside table.

 

A simple spell formed a glob of lube on Charlie’s left hand, and he shot Harry a salacious smirk as he slicked the fingers of his right. Moving back down to lay between Harry’s spread legs, Charlie used his left hand to encircle Harry’s cock with long fingers.

 

“Merlin,” Harry whimpered at that first touch, his fists bunching in the bedsheets at his sides. His hips thrust up involuntarily into Charlie’s touch, as Charlie began to smoothly move his hand along Harry’s length.

 

Then Charlie’s fingers were pressing first at the tender flesh just behind Harry’s balls, before moving down and brushing against the needy heat of his arse. Harry hadn’t anticipated how erotic that touch might feel, but his body burned with arousal, his erection twitching in Charlie’s hand. He made a strangled sound as Charlie pressed a slicked finger inside him.

 

“Good?” Charlie asked, with no small degree of smugness in his voice.

 

“Yes! More!” Harry demanded, tugging at the sheets, his heels digging in as he tried to thrust down further against the invading digit. It burned a little, but it burned so good, and he needed him to move. “Charlie, please.”

 

But Charlie was already complying, his finger thrusting into Harry’s body as he continued to stroke Harry length.

 

“You look so hot like this,” Charlie whispered reverently. “Ready for another?”

 

Harry didn’t trust his voice at that moment and so just nodded emphatically. His head rolling back into the pillows as Charlie pressed two fingers into his body this time. The stretch burned further and for a moment Harry wondered if it was too much, but it coiled in his belly, a fiery tension of desire. And as Charlie stilled, Harry mourned the loss of sensation.

 

“Move. I’m good, just don’t stop,” Harry told him, his voice rough and full of need. “And you’re gonna have to get that cock up inside me soon because I’m not going to last,” he added desperately, almost stumbling over the words as they tumbled past his lips.

 

“Soon,” Charlie promised.

 

He kept his fingers moving into Harry’s body, even as he released his hold on Harry’s erection and grabbed his wand from where he had discarded it on the bed. Pointing it at himself, he coated his length liberally in the same lube he had conjured before. The wand discarded once again, he spread the slickness over his length, lustfully watching as he slowly removed his fingers from Harry’s arse.

 

“Ready?” he asked, as he leaned over Harry again, taking himself in hand as he pressed the tip of his length against Harry’s arse.

 

“Yes,” Harry told him, wrapping an arm around Charlie’s neck and pulling him down for a brief kiss. “Fuck me.”

 

Charlie pressed forward, the tip of him pressing into Harry’s body, just barely starting to stretch him open. He pulled back again, just to rock forward, pushing inside more firmly this time.

 

“Holy fuck,” Harry gasped out, his hand against Charlie’s chest as he tried to catch his breath from the intensity of the burn.

 

“You okay?” Charlie asked with concern.

 

“Yeah, just… one moment,” Harry told him.

 

Charlie went to pull away but Harry’s legs wrapped around his back, pulling him very slightly deeper and drawing a long, deep, salacious moan from Harry.

 

“Merlin, Harry!” Charlie exclaimed in surprise, as he tried to still his hips, to keep from pressing even deeper into Harry’s body.

 

“Move, Charlie, just…”

 

“Go slow?” Charlie suggested.

 

Harry nodded, smiling up at him warmly.

 

He felt full and stretched, and the burn hadn’t left, but it was consuming him with desire, and he met each thrust as Charlie pressed in carefully. Pulling back between thrusts, Charlie gradually eased himself further into Harry’s body, until their bodies were pressed against one another’s, tangled and joined together.

 

“You’re so hot inside me... fuck... oh, please,” Harry told him, rambling incoherently. “I need you! Oh… fuck me, Charlie. I need you to move. Oh Merlin, please move...”

 

Wrapping his arm around Harry’s waist, Charlie rolled his hips, shifting inside Harry’s body as Harry’s aching length became trapped between them. And then he managed to catch just the right spot.

 

“There, yes, again,” Harry implored, tightening his legs around Charlie as they moved, shifting and writhing together on the sheets.  
  
Charlie’s cock was brushing over the sensitive nerves deep inside him and Harry knew he was close. He was desperate now, trying eagerly to meet each of Charlie’s increasingly frantic movements with his own.

 

The two of them were moaning loudly, foreheads pressed together as beads of sweat rolled down their bodies, as they rode ever closer to their climax. And then it was upon them, like fire and ice all at once. Harry felt his vision go hazy as he rolled his head back on his pillow the cords of his neck standing out as he cried out in ecstasy.

 

“Oh fuck, Harry!” Charlie exclaimed above him, stilling as he thrust once more and came inside him.

 

For several long moments, they both rode out the pleasure, and as it began to fade they both were both breathing heavily, but smiling. Charlie pressed a kiss to Harry’s lips, the two of them chuckling almost nervously in the aftermath.

 

With great care, Charlie slid from Harry’s body and all but collapsed next to him, the both of them still trying to catch their breath. He winced and pulled his wand out from underneath him, placing it carefully on the bedside table before giving Harry his full attention.

 

“That was…”

 

“Amazing,” Harry finished for him eagerly, leaning forward to press a kiss against his lips once more.

 

“For me too,” Charlie agreed, rolling onto his side and place his hand on Harry’s chest. “I’m so glad you agreed to stay this weekend.”

 

“Yeah, just think about all the other fun things we can try next,” Harry teased, breaking into a grin.

 

Charlie laughed. “I’m game,” he agreed, “but first I think we might need to see if that bath is big enough for two, and then get some sleep.”

 

“I’m sure we’ll fit somehow,” Harry told him with a grin, taking Charlie by the hand and all but pulling him from the bed, the two of them heading for the bathroom together.

 

-#-

 

Harry woke first the next morning, momentarily surprised to find Charlie’s warm, naked body pressed against his bare back, the man’s arm wrapped loosely around his waist. It was not, however, an unpleasant sensation and with it, his memories of the previous evening began to return.

 

He relaxed back into the other man’s arms, relishing the quiet comfort they brought, even as Charlie slept on, his breath brushing softly against Harry’s nape.

 

Harry allowed himself to remain there for some time, dozing until the sunlight crept ever more insistently into their room. At that point, he could no longer even pretend to be getting more sleep and so he cautiously extracted himself from Charlie’s gentle hold.

 

Without the haze of his arousal, he felt exposed in his nakedness and glanced around quickly in search of something to wear. He smiled at the sight of their clothes, which were now clean and folded upon the table, and whispered his quiet thanks to the house elves. He wasted no time in snatching his boxers and pulling them up his legs. He pulled his trousers on too, for good measure.

 

Only then did he turn his attention to admiring the view from the window. It was glorious and he was still admiring it nearly fifteen minutes later when Charlie’s strong arms wrapped around his waist.

 

“It really is quite something,” Harry remarked, gesturing to the view.

 

“I’ve yet to get sick of it,” Charlie replied, pressing a quick kiss to Harry’s cheek before moving to put on some of his own clothes.

 

Harry felt lost in his thoughts as he stared out the window. He thought of his desk at the ministry, of the reports and files and mind-numbing cases that gave him no excitement anymore. He had smiled and laughed more in the last twenty-four hours than he had in weeks, if not months.

 

“I don’t want to go back,” Harry all but whispered, hardly daring to speak the words.

 

“No one can make you, Harry,” Charlie pointed out earnestly, crossing the room in a few easy strides until he reached his side. “You could stay here and never go back.” He took Harry’s hand in his own, dropping to one knee.

 

“Charlie!” Harry exclaimed with a horrified expression, attempting futilely to tug him back to his feet.

 

“Harry,” Charlie said with mock seriousness, obviously struggling not to lose his composure and start laughing.

 

It was only the obvious humour in Charlie’s expression that kept Harry from clipping the second-eldest Weasley brother round the ear at that moment, for almost scaring the life out of him.

 

“Would you do me the honour of taming dragons with me?” Charlie asked.

 

“You’re a complete moron,” Harry said flatly, though there was affection in his eyes. “But yes, I would love to tame dragons with you.” He kept his expression calm, but inside, his excitement fluttered with potential adventure, and in anticipation of handing Robards his notice.  

 

“Now get up and finish getting dressed,” he added abruptly, “because you have a job to go find me.”

 

Charlie finally allowed himself to be pulled back to his feet, though he was now grinning delightedly from ear to ear.

 

“Of course, anything you wish,” the red-head remarked, giving a ridiculous little bow.

 

Harry rolled his eyes, turning his back as he went to fetch his top, pulling it over his head.

 

“Why do I put up with you Weasleys?” he asked with a chuckle, taking a seat on the edge of the bed as he watched Charlie continue to dress.

 

“Because we make you happy,” Charlie said with sudden seriousness, discarding his jumper to one side and taking several steps forward, into Harry’s personal space. “I think I can make you very happy, Harry.”

 

“I think so too,” Harry said, smiling as he met Charlie’s gaze. “I think we could make each other very happy. But you should know, I am expecting something with some actual dragon taming.”

 

“I’m sure that can be arranged,” Charlie assured him softly, taking his chin in his hand and planting a soft kiss on his lips. “We can’t have you getting bored. You might go wandering off up mountains with strange men.”

 

“Hmm,” Harry hummed in agreement, “that could be truly terrible. But then again, I might just find exactly what I was looking for,” he added with a smirk, before pulling Charlie down to kiss him once more.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to check out the other amazing stories written for this one bed in a snowstorm challenge (link to the collection at the top of the page)


End file.
